Archive for December 2009

Up until last night, I was 100% certain that I was not going to write a year-end blog for a number of reasons. First of all, I have only had a blog ‘presence’ for about 2.5 months now, so I figured that my review would be, uh….blah. Then I thought, people aren’t going to be reading blogs on New Year’s Eve anyway, so what’s the point? Yep, I decided that I would start blogging again after the New Year. Well, it just so happened that one of my friends, Jose Vilson, was posting updates on Twitter about his progress on completing his year-end review. I was thinking, ‘I can’t wait to read it; he’s really honest and a great writer. I don’t feel like doing one though.’ I remember one of the updates mentioned that he was at 1,500+ words or something like that (overachiever). Me thinking: ‘Damn, he must have a lot to say about the year. But I am not doing one.’ So I waited for him to post the link. As always, his words/thoughts were thought provoking and made me think about my life in 2009. Damn him!

After I logged-off late last night, I started thinking: What did I accomplish in 2009? Did anything exciting happen to me? How did I spend the year? Well, the end of 2009 marks the third consecutive year that I have been unemployed. Exciting, huh? I know inquiring minds want to know: Why are you not teaching? Long story short: I briefly worked for the Newton County School System in Georgia; my kids also attended school there since I commuted everyday. My oldest, who is now 14, was in middle school at the time. Those who teach that age group are well-aware of the trials and tribulations of pre-pubescent kids, so I don’t need to describe the atmosphere, as it relates to kids. As a parent, I do my best to teach my kids how to best interact with people. I know there will be conflicts and two days later, they will be friends again. However, the kids were not the issue: It was the ‘adults’ who crossed the line. I had a serious problem with adults making inappropriate comments to my son because it’s (1) unprofessional and (2) just downright ignorant. If you have a legitimate concern, then you should address the parent, as I was expected to do as an employee of this same system. After addressing my concerns, the taunts continued.

Things escalated when I had to be out for minor surgery; the same teacher refused to excuse my son’s absence since it was not ‘life-threatening.’ Despite the fact that he did not have an absenteeism issue, my appeal (to the director of secondary schools) was denied. Anyone who knows me, knows that I never take no for an answer. I did some research and found out that the first absence was excused by the Attendance Secretary, but the second was not. Some of you may be thinking, ‘Well that’s minor it was only one absence.’ That one absence resulted in my son receiving zeros for every assignment he missed that day, which dropped all of his grades 1-2 letter grades. Here’s the dilemma: My son worked very hard to maintain B’s and two high C’s, now they were D’s and F’s. Would it have been fair to say: ‘Suck it up!’ No because he was penalized for my illness and the fact that they knew I was an ‘involved’ parent (that was sarcasm). After more research, I learned that one of my own students was absent 2 days before and 1 day after Labor Day. All of his absences were ‘excused’ and he was allowed to make-up his work. Fast forward: I enlisted the assistance of the Office for Civil Rights. Attendance and grades were corrected, but only after several admonitions of the district by OCR. End result: The district now refuses to provide a reference for me. So here I sit: A Special Education teacher with advanced degrees, excellent teaching abilities and superior classroom management skills, unemployed after 3 years. Yep. It’s time to put it out there so I can move on. I am ready. God has already moved some people around and out of that organization, there is nothing else I can do but let it go. On a positive note: My oldest son and I are still home schooling, without incident. I have threatened to put him out, but I haven’t made good on that one…yet. I think he still likes me for the most part. I have the feeling that when he transitions back into a traditional high school next year, he will tell me that he doesn’t like it.

As we welcome the New Year, I have to agree with Jose in that I can’t help but wonder if I am leaving ‘…too much on the cutting room of this movie we call our lives. None of the lessons get left on the floor, though. They stick around, secretly making their way into our laments and celebrations,’ (Vilson, 2009). For me, I know that I will truly never leave anything behind. Every incident and experience, positive or negative, have collectively played a part in who and where I am as I sit here typing these words. I am learning to be grateful for them all, even on the days when I wonder if I will ever be able to teach again. Saying goodbye to 2009, I eagerly look forward to 2010 and commit to being ‘..steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain for the Lord,’ (I Corinthians 15). Even though I may feel or appear to be alone, I know that He always has my back!

Georgia’s State Superintendent of Schools, Kathy Cox, released the December 2009/January 2010 newsletter. It included a list of the 17 schools that moved-off the NCLB ‘Needs improvement’ list, as well as a summary of Georgia’s performance on the 2009 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). The assessment, administered every 2 years, compares academic performance of 4th and 8th grade students across the country in areas such as Math and Reading. With the exception of the SAT and ACT, it is the closet thing we have to a national assessment. I believe I may have blogged about this topic before but I feel it’s important to revisit it because I have a problem with people presenting data without using full disclosure.

One thing we need to keep in mind is that the national average is just that: An average of scores from all 4th and 8th graders across the country. I did not find the word average anywhere in the article; I read it four times.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show great improvement in Georgia.

Let’s analyze the data to see exactly what determines ‘great’ as opposed to say ‘good’ or no improvement at all. Data for AYP *subgroups is listed below.

The article stated that Georgia is “…leading the nation in improving student achievement,” (Cox, 2009). For some reason the performance of Students with Disabilities (SWD) and English Language Learners (ELL) were omitted from the newsletter, so I decided to check the NAEP site for those numbers.

GA ELL Population

2009 > 220

2007 > 212

2005 > 208

2003 > 208

Nation’s ELL Population

2009 > 218

2007 > 217

2005 > 216

2003 > 214

GA Students with Disabilities Population

2009 > 215

2007 > 219

2005 > 218

2003 > 209

Nation’s Students with Disabilities Population

2009 > 220

2007 > 220

2005 > 218

2003 > 214

Although Georgia’s ELL population performed higher than the national average for 2009, performance in other years has been considerably lower, with 2 years of no growth at all. The scores of the SWD group have been on the decline for the past three administrations, while the national average scores have improved. Perhaps that explains why those two groups were omitted from the newsletter. Just a thought. If anyone is interested, I will probably (meaning definitely) do a state-by-state comparison of each subgroup and compile some sort of ranking for each. I will likely start with SWD since I am a former Special Education teacher.

Thanks for reading!

*AYP subgroups=those groups of students identified as having a ‘gap’ in their achievement compared to White, Asian, and economically advantaged students: Blacks, Hispanics, Students with Disabilities (SWD), and English Language Learners (ELL).

three are pointing back at you. Yes, I went there with song lyrics again. Couldn’t help it. Dealing with ‘education rhetoric’ overload. Last week I wrote about the single parent-bashing that has been going on in the media, especially as it relates to Education. Since I wrote that blog ‘off-the-cuff,’ I didn’t have time to do any research on people raised by single parents or grandparents who are now very successful and well-adjusted. I am sure that we all know someone who, despite the statistics and negative Nellie, went on to college, graduated, and are making some form of contribution to his/her community. I know I can name a lot of people who are succesful and self-absorbed, but I digress because that is not the topic of today’s blog. Instead, I thought I would issue a challenge to those who are still playing the blame-game and laying the responsibility of Education’s demise at the feet of teachers and teacher unions.

For those who are ‘in’ the 3-ring circus of Education reform, I can’t help but wonder:

How many of the ‘experts’ attended public neighborhood schools? Not the elite schools where parents pulled a few strings, but the schools located right in their own neighborhood. Probably none.

Of the people, actually ‘in’ Education, who are bashing public school teachers, how many would be willing to contact their teachers to say they did a crummy job? Probably none. For the record, I try to connect with my teachers each year and thank them for their dedication and high standards. Some of them are actually still teaching. Yeah, who says teachers aren’t committed?

Has any union-basher actually done any empirical and peer-reviewed research on the detrimental effects of teacher unions? No one seems to notice that Georgia, a state without a union, consistently performs in the bottom five. Massachusetts, however, consistently performs in the top tier. Hmmmm. Could one dare to say that student performance is tied to teacher effectiveness, which is tied to a strong and active support system, a la unions? No one wants to admit that. Nevermind.

Will anyone admit the real issue with unions: The only reason why education ‘experts’ are calling for the dismantling or reorganization of these institutions is because they (experts) want to bring-in Rhee-type leaders to fire anyone who does not conform to the regime-of-the-moment and replace them with TFA alums. I guess I just did. Nevermind.

I would like to know when someone, anyone, will start addressing the educational infrastructure, which parents and teachers alone cannot change? You know, things like overrepresentation of minority students (particularly African-Americans) in Special Education. Or how about the underrepresentation of minorities in Gifted Education programs? Here’s a good one: What about the systemic tracking of minority and low-income kids into technical education programs? It’s one thing if kids are interested in those programs, but a completely different issue when kids are not provided with exposure to options. I guess I will continue to have this conversation with myself because no one wants to jeopardize losing powerful connections by admitting that our country’s education system (not teachers) and its archaic policies are, in fact, racist and classist.

DISCLAIMER: After reflecting on some dialogue on Twitter, I took some time to process last night. I then started reading the bible to find some reference on dealing with ‘conflict,’ because we tend to shut people out when we disagree (2 Corinthians 7). I checked my ‘cliff notes’ in the margin of my bible and found this explanation: ‘First, believers are expected to cleanse themselves by turning from everything that contaminates the body or spirit- including every person who bends the truth.’ That was my confirmation that I had to write this blog, today. I need to get this off of my heart so that I can move forward. This blog post will include some very direct and honest insight. If you are sensitive or concerned about not offending your supporters, I suggest you turn the channel. Please understand that there is an urgency with the state of public education, so I refuse to pussy-foot or sugarcoat anything for the sake of making others feel comfortable. I am interested in the truth, the whole truth, so help me God. Thank you.

I think I am starting to get the hang of this blog-thing. I have connected with some really great intellectuals (Black, White, and everyone in between), who are also fighting to change education for those who need it most: Kids living in America’s urban cities and attending the some (not all) of the worst-performing schools. In my very first blog, I stated that I am not an expert but I do have a great deal of common sense. I do not claim to know everything that veterans with 20+ years’ experience know, but I know some things they do not. I have experiences they do not. I have the natural ability to relate to groups of parents and students they cannot. Shared experiences do matter in many instances. Am I claiming that a ‘non-member’ (insert any race/ethnic group) cannot contribute or help a member? Not at all. What I do know is that, as a single parent, I would never tell another single parent that his or her child will never amount to anything because there is only one parent present. I also know many people who have defied the statistics. It can be done. I am blessed that I never bought into other peoples’ limits on me simply because I was born to a single woman. My kids will never buy-into other peoples’ limits simply because they were born to a single woman. Why? Because I don’t believe in being a stereotype. Yes, I am a single mother. But, the description does not and will not stop there. I also happen to be a well-read, analytical, doctorate degree-seeking college graduate. Yeah, I belong to a very exclusive club. My integrity, principles, and refusal to label all single mothers and their children make me a very unique kind of educator. I would even go so far as to say that I am the kind of educator single parents would want on their side. I am not going to sell you out for a headline, a check, or a pat on the head by a group of old, White men studying ‘inner-city, disadvantaged, low-performing youth.’ Nope. Not gon’ do it.

Now that states are vying for Race to the Top funds, everybody and they damn mamma (excuse the slang, sometimes it’s the only way to accurately convey my true feelings) is an expert on education. Nevermind the fact that some of these yahoos have either never been in the classroom or have not been in a classroom in 20+ years. How about the fact that you cannot always treat people like statistics? Yes, as a researcher I understand that some things need to be quantified, but we cannot assign numbers to kids all willy-nilly. When discussing academic performance or graduation rates, it is acceptable to use numbers. When speaking about kids and their potential, we must view them as individuals. Every child has a name and a story. Just because society has written them off, does not mean that we have to continue the trend. Think about it. If you were told that you would never amount to anything, everyday, at some point you would begin to believe it. That is proven psychology. Don’t believe me? Look at all the young girls who don’t eat or make themselves sick because they want to look like the emaciated chicks on tv. They receive messages that they are not thin enough to be considered beautiful so they starve or make themselves vomit. The kids being written off are no different. Why do you think it’s so easy for 15, 16, and 17 year-olds to kill each other, with crowds of people watching? They know no one cares about them. How many times have we mentioned Derrion Albert in the past 3 weeks? Probably none because Tiger Woods was front and center, but I digress.

I have a challenge for you, especially those of you of the same hue: The next time you fix your lips to say “These single parents don’t care about education…” stop and ask yourself these questions:

1. How would I feel if someone were saying that about my mom/grandmother/aunt?

2. Is it better for a woman to remain in a physically/emotionally abusive relationship for the sake of the kids? (That’s the next biggest cop-out after people who say ‘I am not a racist. My best friend is Black, White, Asian, Latino!’)

3. Who are they (someone outside the group) to pretend to be an expert on something of which they have no knowledge?

4. What about the kids from two-parent homes who go to school strapped and kill their classmates and teachers? (Note: It’s not us)

5. What about the privileged kids who develop addictions to their parents pain killers? They are simply imitating what they see.

6. What about the kids ‘sexting’ and harassing each other to the point of suicide?

As I said before, I am not an expert on anything but I know a little about everything. Since I am African American, I can only write about that experience and what it means to me. I can only write about what I have seen as an African American educator of African American kids, mostly those tracked into Special Education. I do not know how the ‘other half’ lives because I don’t live near them.

My grandmother always talked to me about being able to spend time by myself; not to be with the ‘in-crowd’ all the time. As a kid, we don’t understand those gems that our elders pass down to us. As an adult, I can honestly say that now I understand. Being honest, especially when you have to ‘call-out’ your own, is a lonely journey but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I need to be able to look at myself, and like what I see, everyday. I need to be able to humble myself before God (and God only) and honestly say that I did what I thought would be pleasing to Him. After reading the disparaging remarks about single parents and their children, I can say that there are not a lot of other people who can do that. I wonder how many people would make those same remarks about President Obama’s mother? I mean, after all, she was a single mother of two biracial children. Food for thought.

The next time you fix your lips to verbally assault your race and its future, ask yourself: What would Jesus do? If you are not a believer, here are some worldly translations: Why do I feel the need to attack/kick a group of people who are already down? What will my negative comments accomplish? Who am I trying to impress? What am I trying to gain? Do I really feel this way, or am I just going with the flow?

Gazillionaire Oprah Winfrey recently donated $1.5 million dollars to the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, GA. I applaud Ms. Winfrey’s commitment to improving educational options, especially for students from low-income families as they tend to get fed the short-end of the stick. There has been a great deal of fanfare around Ms. Winfrey’s donation, as there was this time last year when she sent Ron Clark a check for $365,000. I will admit that I was a bit envious: Of the donation, not the donor. As a staunch advocate of quality education, school choice, and increasing access to the arts, I would have been so gracious that I may have actually broken out in song-and-dance (the sarcasm is back). Seriously, this time last year our organization was nearing the 30-day deadline we were given to raise $1 million dollars if our charter petition was to receive consideration for approval. That’s an entirely different blog in and of itself…Any way, I can truly understand Mr. Clark’s enthusiasm upon receiving that check, but more so the one he received this week. I would like to attempt to explain some of the criticism surrounding Ms. Winfrey’s donation.

First, Ron Clark Academy is a private school, which means not everyone living in the school’s vicinity is afforded the opportunity to attend. As a private school, a limited number of students are able to attend. Furthermore, the ‘cost’ for educating each child is roughly $14,000, almost twice the amount alloted for public school children. I completely understand the school’s leader wanting to give children the best education possible, but I do not believe that it requires more money. Someone with Ron Clark’s connections could just as easily have started a public charter school and still received the same levels of donations and fundings as the private school. Why do I believe this? Well, the first reason is obvious for obvious reasons. Another reason is because Ron Clark was shown how to properly network and raise funds, as he traveled in the ‘right’ circles. For many grassroots educators, it has never been about the money or the recognition for that matter. It has been about giving back to their respective communities, leading by example, giving hope to students who may not otherwise have any or reason to believe they can change their circumstances through education.

Another issue of concern is this image of students singing and dancing all the time. As a lover of the arts, I completely understand the benefits of an arts-based education; however, art should not be limited to rapping. I have often vented about exposing kids to Mozart, Beethoven, or Vivaldi (my favorites). Better yet, why couldn’t the kids go to D.C. and recite a speech by W.E.B. DuBois or Martin Luther King, Jr.? Could they not have performed ‘We Shall Overcome’ or ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing?’ Either selection would have been more appropriate. Why, you ask? Because Blacks are always (or at least 99% of the time) portrayed in commercials singing, dancing, or jive-talkin’ Sadly, that is how many people outside of our race perceive us. I can’t speak for every Black person in America, but I am tired of being stereotyped!

Lastly, I would like to offer my opinion (because I know it only matters to me, no one is going to consult me before making any major donations): There are a lot of kids who could have been served by a $250k donation from Ms. Winfrey. Recently, the Georgia Charter School Commission approved 7 of 21 charter petitions received from organizations. Of the 7 approved, I believe only 2 were submitted by grassroots organizations. What exactly does that mean? It means that management companies stand to make at least $1 million dollars for the first year that each of those other charter schools is in operation. That means approximately $5 million of Georgia tax-payer dollars will leave the state during the 2010-11 school year. As someone who has been unemployed, I know for a fact that if that money remained in Georgia a few more people would be able to return to work next year. Instead, those funds go to CEOs of those organizations, located elsewhere. Many of the grassroots organizers were told that they should seek the services of a management company, as the Commission did not think they were competent enough to handle school operations. If Ms. Winfrey (or some other celebrity) had donated $15K to each of those 14 organizers (non-profit), they could have used those funds to attend training on opening and operating a charter school, offered by the Georgia Charter Schools Association. Then she could have happily donated the remaining funds to the Ron Clark Academy which, by the way, charges for site visits. So much for ‘best practices,’ but I digress.

So what am I really trying to say? Well, in a nutshell: Celebrities, if we are to fix what is wrong with public education, we (the everyday, average Joes & Janes) are going to need your help! Now I know all of you can’t give $1.5 million like Oprah, but giving your time and lending your name (and face) would certainly help bring focus to our educational system. Better yet, the next time you are at the White House rubbing elbows with the Obamas, please tell them that there are everyday educators out here, like Dr. Steve Perry and Baruti Kafele, who are getting things done, sans the fanfare and million dollar donations. I am sure the students at their respective schools could use those funds wisely.

Gazillionaire Oprah Winfrey recently donated $1.5 million dollars to the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, GA. I applaud Ms. Winfrey’s commitment to improving educational options, especially for students from low-income families as they tend to get fed the short-end of the stick. There has been a great deal of fanfare around Ms. Winfrey’s donation, as there was this time last year when she sent Ron Clark a check for $365,000. I will admit that I was a bit envious: Of the donation, not the donor. As a staunch advocate of quality education, school choice, and increasing access to the arts, I would have been so gracious that I may have actually broken out in song-and-dance (the sarcasm is back). Seriously, this time last year our organization was nearing the 30-day deadline we were given to raise $1 million dollars if our charter petition was to receive consideration for approval. That’s an entirely different blog in and of itself…Any way, I can truly understand Mr. Clark’s enthusiasm upon receiving that check, but more so the one he received this week. I would like to attempt to explain some of the criticism surrounding Ms. Winfrey’s donation.

First, Ron Clark Academy is a private school, which means not everyone living in the school’s vicinity is afforded the opportunity to attend. As a private school, a limited number of students are able to attend. Furthermore, the ‘cost’ for educating each child is roughly $14,000, almost twice the amount alloted for public school children. I completely understand the school’s leader wanting to give children the best education possible, but I do not believe that it requires more money. Someone with Ron Clark’s connections could just as easily have started a public charter school and still received the same levels of donations and fundings as the private school. Why do I believe this? Well, the first reason is obvious for obvious reasons. Another reason is because Ron Clark was shown how to properly network and raise funds, as he traveled in the ‘right’ circles. For many grassroots educators, it has never been about the money or the recognition for that matter. It has been about giving back to their respective communities, leading by example, giving hope to students who may not otherwise have any or reason to believe they can change their circumstances through education.

Another issue of concern is this image of students singing and dancing all the time. As a lover of the arts, I completely understand the benefits of an arts-based education; however, art should not be limited to rapping. I have often vented about exposing kids to Mozart, Beethoven, or Vivaldi (my favorites). Better yet, why couldn’t the kids go to D.C. and recite a speech by W.E.B. DuBois or Martin Luther King, Jr.? Could they not have performed ‘We Shall Overcome’ or ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing?’ Either selection would have been more appropriate. Why, you ask? Because Blacks are always (or at least 99% of the time) portrayed in commercials singing, dancing, or jive-talkin’ Sadly, that is how many people outside of our race perceive us. I can’t speak for every Black person in America, but I am tired of being stereotyped!

Lastly, I would like to offer my opinion (because I know it only matters to me, no one is going to consult me before making any major donations): There are a lot of kids who could have been served by a $250k donation from Ms. Winfrey. Recently, the Georgia Charter School Commission approved 7 of 21 charter petitions received from organizations. Of the 7 approved, I believe only 2 were submitted by grassroots organizations. What exactly does that mean? It means that management companies stand to make at least $1 million dollars for the first year that each of those other charter schools is in operation. That means approximately $5 million of Georgia tax-payer dollars will leave the state during the 2010-11 school year. As someone who has been unemployed, I know for a fact that if that money remained in Georgia a few more people would be able to return to work next year. Instead, those funds go to CEOs of those organizations, located elsewhere. Many of the grassroots organizers were told that they should seek the services of a management company, as the Commission did not think they were competent enough to handle school operations. If Ms. Winfrey (or some other celebrity) had donated $15K to each of those 14 organizers (non-profit), they could have used those funds to attend training on opening and operating a charter school, offered by the Georgia Charter Schools Association. Then she could have happily donated the remaining funds to the Ron Clark Academy which, by the way, charges for site visits. So much for ‘best practices,’ but I digress.

So what am I really trying to say? Well, in a nutshell: Celebrities, if we are to fix what is wrong with public education, we (the everyday, average Joes & Janes) are going to need your help! Now I know all of you can’t give $1.5 million like Oprah, but giving your time and lending your name (and face) would certainly help bring focus to our educational system. Better yet, the next time you are at the White House rubbing elbows with the Obamas, please tell them that there are everyday educators out here, like Dr. Steve Perry and Baruti Kafele, who are getting things done, sans the fanfare and million dollar donations. I am sure the students at their respective schools could use those funds wisely.

Proof that education change is slow to come to Gwinnett County: The Gwinnett County Board of Education voted to extend Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks’ contract for 2 additional years, until 2012. Wilbanks is currently the superintendent of the largest school district in the state of Georgia; he is also one of the longest-serving superintendents in the country. Some of the highlights of Wilbanks’ career as superintendent:

Challenging a charter school that is actually closing the achievement gap (See story here);

Blaming Special Education for the academic woes of public education;

Questioning the existence of Blacks in Idaho at an open school board meeting (See story here);

Operating a system that continues to suspend and expel Black and Latino students at disproportionate rates;

48% graduation rate for students with disabilities.

There are more, but there is no need to fill this blog with a laundry list of public education failures. One a brighter note, The Broad Foundation overlooked the district’s blaring discrepancies and less-than-culturally sensitive superintendent when they awarded Gwinnett County $250,000 as a finalist in the Urban Education competition.

Yep, I am certain: The road to change does not run through Gwinnett County.